The Lightning Dancer
by Starr Bryte
Summary: She was like a thunderstorm. She was like lightning itself on the battlefeild. And he was the only one who could make her dance. She never liked the name 'Savage Nymph' anyway...


**Dear Reader,**

**This is what happens when I watch Moulin Rouge, watch a Final Fantasy X music video with the song 'Come What May', get a sudden inspiration to draw Larxene naked and get PMS all in the same day. Weird shit happens, my friend. Weird shit. Larxene needs a hug. Hell, I need a hug too. We both need hugs...  
**

**Usually I am a Demyx/Xigbar fan, but this was actually kinda sweet. And the thought of Larxene as a dancer isn't that far fetched. I can actually see her dancing naked in a thunderstorm. Hell, I see me dancing naked in a thunderstorm. I have danced in a thunderstorm. Just not naked. This story actually made me get all teary. That's probably from hormones. I see Larxene as one of those people who sleeps around for the hell of it. I'll probably end up writing a fic where she sleeps around for the hell of it. **

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts.**

**I don't own 'Come What May' from Moulin Rouge. This is kinda the song that inspired me so I guess I should pay tribute to it. That and I can also see Demyx playing it for Larxene for absolutely no reason. Yay.**

**Here's to Everfire. Because I am feeling emotional and sappy and overly romantic and I miss you alot... 'COOOOME WHAT MAAAAAY! COOOOME WHAT MAAAAAY! IIIIIEEEE WILL LOVE YOOOUUU UNTIL MY DYYYY-IIIIINNNGGG DAAAAAAAAYYYYYY! IIIIEEEE WILL LOVE YOOOUUU UNTIL THE EEEEENNNNDDD OOOOOFFF TIIIIIIIMMMMEEEEEE!' (Come what may! Come what may! I will love you until my dying day! I will love you until the end of time!)**

**Here's to my reviewers and friends! I love you too...**

**Stay safe  
Stay healthy  
Sincerely,**

**Starr**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Having an alias like 'The Savage Nymph' had it's perks. It meant that you could be as mean and bitchy as you wanted and people wouldn't get all in your face about it. If they didn't get the warning it was their own fault. But most times it annoyed her. The term 'Nymph' was rather flattering and did make her feel pretty, but 'Savage' was a word that reminded her of Tarzan and she wasn't really a big fan of him. Maybe if he stood up straight and wore more clothes... But even if she wanted to change her alias she couldn't. It was a title given to her by the Superior and even though she thought he was a puffed up prick who should get his head out of his ass and face reality, she couldn't go against him. Not alone at least. She was more of a follower than a leader. The problem was finding the right leader. She would acknowledge that yes, Xemnas had flare and good leadership skills... But he also had the tendency of going a little to far with the megalomania and 'I have a DREAM' thing. Larxene disliked dreaming. Dreams were things that reminded her of what she lost. Not that she could really remember it. She had once talked about it seriously with Xigbar while he was cleaning his guns, a thing he did often when not looking after Demyx and his accident prone self. As one of the origionals and one below Xemnas she generally liked him. He was the one who trained all the new ones and looked after them until they could stand on their own. He also knew a lot. And he had explained it to her... Or tried too, at least.

"It's kinda hard to explain..." He said, squinting his remaining eye at his gun, looking for a spot that hadn't been polished to hell and back, "It's like our former lives was a dream we can't really remember. We only get bits and pieces of the important bits. Like something we REALLY enjoyed. Like music, or flowers or science or fire. It just sticks with us and doesn't let go. It's the little things that we can never remember... Like a favorite food or color. Sometimes things come back to us when we least expect them... Then it's just whether or not we give into that false hope." If those serious moments of wisdom weren't so few and far between for Xigbar, Larxene would have happily followed him the way Demyx did. But Xigbar wasn't usually serious. But those words Larxene did store away in her mind because he was right.

Vexen was a scientist. He had been one before and he always would. Which came in really handy when she needed something for cramps, he was always looking for things to experiment on and a better painkiller was a good hobby for him. Marluxia had been a gardener and, although he was rather obnoxious to be around, she had to admit that the greenhouse was a work of art in and of itself. Axel was just plain scary and she had to wonder what in the hell he had been like as a Somebody and found herself pitying the people he had once known. Fire just seemed to be in his blood or something. Not that she could really blame him since most wildfires were started by lightning after all.

But the most evidence she found to support Xigbar's claim was Demyx. Music wasn't just a part of him... It was him. If there was even a droplet of water around him and he started to hum that water would find a way to dance for him. At first it was amusing and even fun, but then it just got annoying. He also seemed really sensitive to the people around him and would either latch on to Xigbar or go off by himself. No one really knew where. For her part Demyx unnerved Larxene. When he played she felt an itch deep in her bones. As if she were the water he commanded and wanted, no... NEEDED to move to his music.

Soon after he had joined the Organization Larxene began to dream. Phantom music would echo through her ears. Melodies and lyrics she just couldn't seem to remember. She would wake up and her skin almost tingled from the imagined feel of fine silk streaming from her body. Each time she came into contact or even passed Demyx in the hallway she could feel it. Instead of leather there was silk. Instead of daggers it was delicately gilded fans. Instead of boots there were slippers. Instead of a hood there was a veil. Sometimes at night she could hear him playing and her body would writhe with the need to move. If she were honest with herself, and she was most of the time, she could easily admit that it was the memories of her past life that haunted her. That sometime, not so long ago and not so far away, she had danced for royalty. It was still there. She didn't just fight, she danced. The movements of battle turning into a choreographed work of art. Like Marluxias flowers and Axel's flames. And as the days went by and turned into weeks she realized that Demyx was driving her crazy and if she didn't bend soon she would break. Although just what would break exactly she didn't really know. Just something. And she didn't really want to know what she would do once it was broken.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Larxene hated joint missions. She didn't like working with other people because she KNEW that they wouldn't do what they were supposed to. It didn't help that she was the youngest and the lowest in rank. The fact that someone like Demyx was higher up in the food chain than her really pissed her off. Not that it was his fault per say. But if she were to blame somebody it was just easier to blame him. He was a coward after all. More suited to stand on the sidelines and send water dopplegangers in to fight. Since her own power was in electricity and he was easily cowed by her it was pretty easy to bully him into doing what she wanted him to do.

Using the water as a conductor she sent her daggers slicing through them which caused the current to take out twice as many Heartless as they would have killed alone. Then she was able to easily take out the rest with minimal amount of effort. When the last Heartless was gone she was panting slightly and cursing the heavy leather coats. It didn't help that Demyx was looking fresh as a daisy, if a little strained from all the playing he had to do to keep up his dopplegangers. Larxene suppressed a shiver. His music had been beautiful as always and had spurred her on into her fight. His eyes were shining when he looked at her.

"Wow..." He said, awed, "That was beautiful... I think you should've been named 'Lightning Dancer' instead of 'Savage Nymph'..."

"What was?" She asked, feigning confusion.

"Your dance." He answered simply.

"That's not dancing, that's fighting with style." She shot back, "I don't dance." Demyx snorted as if he didn't believe her and she felt the bottom of her stomach fall out. She didn't believe herself either. And if gullible Demyx didn't believe her then the lie had been as easy to see through as air.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Weeks had passed and Larxene was having more trouble avoiding Demyx than usual. If she were to say it out loud she would have accused him of following her. But she didn't because he was her superior and it was an ingrained instinct that kept her from trying to scare him away. She decided that the only way to keep the dreams away was distraction. So she began to hang out with Marluxia in the greenhouse. Even though he was a tad obnoxious and egotistical she had to admire him. His ideas were more down to earth and believeable and when he told her that things needed to change she believed him. Their debates on what changes needed to be made left her just tired enough mentally that the dreams didn't bother her so much. But that didn't stop her from waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of Sitar music floating through her window.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the Word That Never Was, it was always raining. Even though it rained constantly there were never any real thunderstorms. Nothing to get excited about. And it was always a rain that annoyed more than anything. It wasn't too surprising that Vexen, Marluxia and Demyx all seemed to like it. They were water creature that needed it. Usually she liked rain, but this rain had nothing in it. No lightning. No thunder. Just water. If she had a heart she would've called it depressing. As it was it was just plain boring.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One day Larxene woke up to the smell of electricity. It was everywhere. Soaking into everything. It made her feel excited and almost happy. She wondered if this was what Demyx felt in the rain. That almost giddy sensation that made her grin and smile and nearly skip down the hallway. A storm was coming. A real, honest to goodness thunderstorm with lighting and thunder and wind and rain. Not the pansy-assed rain like usual, but real stinging RAIN.

She didn't even feel shivvery when she found herself spinning and prancing up the stairs to the roof. Nothing could ruin her mood. Then the strum of a sitar reached her ears. Nothing could ruin her mood except, maybe, Demyx and the creepy feeling she always felt whenever he played. She stood in the doorway and simply watched him for awhile. He was sitting in the middle of the roof, playing that damned sitar. His coat, gloves, shirt and boots were all missing and a few bottles of something that looked an awful lot like vodka was sitting next to him. Larxene weighed her options. She could either go up to him and tell him to go away, she wanted the roof, or she could go to the greenhouse. Creepy feeling that made her want to dance... Or go to the greenhouse and talk treason. She was about to turn around when the first rumble of thunder split the eternally dark sky and Demyx's voice reached her ears.

"Come and join me, Larxene..." His voice was less... cheery than usual. More down to earth. Still happy, but less scary-happy and more happy-happy. And he was her superior. Reluctantly walking out onto the roof a small gust of wind carressed her face and she shivvered, not from the cold, but from the sudden thrill of being so high up and inside a cloud. Demyx looked up and smiled, holding out a bottle of liqour.

"Let's celebrate!" He said simply.

"Celebrate what?"

"Xigbar told me... This is the first ever real live storm this world has ever experienced. I thought it would be nice to celebrate."

"I don't drink."

"Neither do I..." He said in a soft sing song voice before looking around and whispering like a conspirator, "If I try to get up now, I'll likely fall down... " Sighing Larxene sat next to him and took a drink, coughing as it burned its way down her throat.

"How far away is it?" She asked after she had regained her ability to talk. Demyx shrugged and took another swig out of his bottle.

"An hour maybe... There's still some time..." Leaning back Larxene looked up and watched as the stars and moon dissappeared underneath the incomming clouds.

"Good."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Both bottles were gone and they were passing the third and last bottle back and forth between them when the first flash of lighting lit up the sky. Larxene shivvered and turned to glance at Demyx. He was smiling at the clouds happily.

"I really hate you, you know." She said suddenly. Demyx grinned.

"I know..."

"Good. So long as we're both in agreement." She said standing up. He looked up at her in confusion as she unzipped her coat and threw it to the ground. His eyes widened into a gape as her tank top and bra followed it along with her gloves and boots and finally pants. Grabbing the bottle back she chugged the rest of it down and glared at him.

"Now, play me something 'Nocturn, while I'm still feeling good." She snapped. Demyx swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes ma'am..." He croaked, grabbing for his sitar. She didn't really remember what he played for her. All she remembered was music. The thrumming of her blood. The feeling of the wind and rain. The heat of the lightning. The sound of the thunder playing counter point. The feel of her feet leaving the ground. The burn of muscles and she twirled and bent and twined. All she remembered was dancing naked and not caring in the rain as Demyx played for her and her alone.

And for the first time since her death, Larxene felt truly alive...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three weeks later Larxene and Marluxia left Organization XIII for Castle Oblivion. Three weeks later they were branded traitors. Three weeks later Larxene was dead and Demyx was left alone on the roof of the Castle That Never Was in the World That Never Was, playing music for a lightning dancer who would never dance again...


End file.
